Maria Pienaar is looking for businesses worth backing with money, mentoring and introductions to her Silicon Valley networks. She hopes to send ten such ventures out into the world in the next three years.

The former CIO of Cell C hatched the idea with business partner Tallies Taljaard, and persuaded Blue Label Telecoms founders Mark and Brett Levy to finance it. The result – Blue Label Ventures – is now working with its first three protégés.